Hanover detectives notice rise in elderly scams
HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — It's a new year and scammers are still hard at work trying to steal people's personal information and money. The Hanover County Sheriff's Office says the most vulnerable victims in the county have been senior citizens. Scammers do not discriminate when it comes to who they want to target. However, the Hanover County Sheriff's Department says more elderly residents are becoming easy targets. “They're probably more likely to be swindled out of their money just because of their age and probably a little more likely just because they're not as up to date on the types of scams and schemes out there," said Sergeant Steve Wills, Hanover County Sherriff's Office. In recent weeks, Wills says detectives have noticed more people are falling victim to scams like impersonation scams and computer fraud scams. During an impersonation scam, the scammer will claim to be from the department. In a computer fraud scam, a pop-up will appear on a person's computer leading them to believe the device they are using is infected with a virus. Both types of scams will try to lure you into giving up your personal information or money. “It can happen to anybody. And I know people that you would never expect to fall for a scam have fallen for scams," Wills said. With new technology like artificial intelligence, detectives say solving the crime can cause a challenge for them but it is not impossible. If they find themselves dealing with an out of state or international scammer they will often team up with federal partners. The Federal Trade Commission suggests you can avoid scams by blocking unwanted calls and text messages, resisting the pressure to pay to solve a problem immediately and by watching out for suspicious payment methods like cryptocurrency, wire transfers and gift cards. If you receive a call from someone asking for your personal information, Wills recommends using common phrases like 'I'll have to get back to you' or 'I don't give out personal information over the phone.' If you are unsure whether an interaction is legitimate, you are encouraged to reach out to your local law enforcement agency. You can file a complaint for suspected fraud by reporting the incident to the FBI or the Federal Trade Commission.
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HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — It's a new year and scammers are still hard at work trying to steal people's personal information and money. The Hanover County Sheriff's Office says the most vulnerable victims in the county have been senior citizens.
Scammers do not discriminate when it comes to who they want to target. However, the Hanover County Sheriff's Department says more elderly residents are becoming easy targets.
“They're probably more likely to be swindled out of their money just because of their age and probably a little more likely just because they're not as up to date on the types of scams and schemes out there," said Sergeant Steve Wills, Hanover County Sherriff's Office.
In recent weeks, Wills says detectives have noticed more people are falling victim to scams like impersonation scams and computer fraud scams. During an impersonation scam, the scammer will claim to be from the department. In a computer fraud scam, a pop-up will appear on a person's computer leading them to believe the device they are using is infected with a virus. Both types of scams will try to lure you into giving up your personal information or money.
“It can happen to anybody. And I know people that you would never expect to fall for a scam have fallen for scams," Wills said.
With new technology like artificial intelligence, detectives say solving the crime can cause a challenge for them but it is not impossible. If they find themselves dealing with an out of state or international scammer they will often team up with federal partners.
The Federal Trade Commission suggests you can avoid scams by blocking unwanted calls and text messages, resisting the pressure to pay to solve a problem immediately and by watching out for suspicious payment methods like cryptocurrency, wire transfers and gift cards.
If you receive a call from someone asking for your personal information, Wills recommends using common phrases like 'I'll have to get back to you' or 'I don't give out personal information over the phone.'
If you are unsure whether an interaction is legitimate, you are encouraged to reach out to your local law enforcement agency. You can file a complaint for suspected fraud by reporting the incident to the FBI or the Federal Trade Commission.
